I raised two male GWP's together. I am a devoted owner that dedicated the time needed to keep them as house pets. By far the most challenging breed I've owned. They needed four mile walks daily where they attempted to pull my arm out of the socket at the sign of every squirrel. They needed constant socializing to keep them from being dog aggressive. It became obvious to me early on that they should only go to working/hunting homes where they can do what they were bred to do. They were loving, affectionate, couch potatoes if their daily needs were met but would definitely find trouble without enough stimulation. I loved turning them loose in the woods or the mountains, it was pure joy for them. I researched the breed extensively before choosing them but unfortunately there was not near enough info/warnings regarding their temperament and demands. I feel like the breeders need to be more responsible and selective in placing their pups in homes where they will be worked.
On our second griff. Not a hunting family but best family dogs we have ever had. Need lots of exercise (we all could use that) but as sweet, loving, snuggly as can be. These dogs adjust to what you’re doing but definitely need to get lots of exercise, outdoor time. Smart and easy to train. Really the best dogs
You make a great point, these dogs are bred here in Germany where we hunt for 10 months a year. If you can't take them out hunting they need lots of exercise.
I have a 9 month old GWP puppy. she is the sweetest girl. She is good at hunting, but now I had a knee injury so we couldn't go hunting. But we go out often. We go hiking, cycling and many other things. And she is in the House. She behaved nicely and is never aggressive. GWPs make good family dogs as long as you give them enough exercise.
My aunt had an awesome GWP named Jill. She lived to be well into her 20s. Last time I had seen her, she was 22 or 24...not sure how old she was when she passed. Never knew about this side of them. This channel is awesome. Thanks Mike.
Hi Mike, Cindy and I are thankful to have Sherlock.....working out great, great with grandkids and other dogs. Enjoy his passion for the hunt and he loves to swim and chase ducks behind the house. He enjoys cuddle time. looking forward to hunting with you this Fall at Meemo's
Writing to you from North Wales. We have a rescue Griffon that came to us via a charity in Spain. Our boy has travelled. Been with us 7 yrs today. A lovely dog, but so help me they can be stubborn & you have to want to get inside of their heads because they are a bit complicated. I grew up with dogs & have always had dogs ..... have been bitten but then again so was my son as a child. One bite & you respect dogs forever. Personally I would say a Griff needs to go to experienced dog owners or in the perfect world experienced dog owning hunting families. Bless you for the good work your doing over there.
I have one of these and wouldn’t trade her for the World. She hunts all day on our property. She hikes with us, plays with us, cuddles with us and is very close to our labradoodle. These dogs need tons of exercise to match their energy. They are loyal and loving and train easy.
My GWP musta been a good one I got him a puppy he’s just about 1 now, I don’t hunt birds I do fish so he’s grown to love hikes and fishing, I brought him home to my 1 year old daughter not really knowing anything about the breed, he is an amazing dog loyal as they come, he gets a little wild sometimes full of energy after a long day of minimal play while I’m at work, he is very gentle with my little girl he knows when she is playing he isn’t rough, he is the dog you can snatch a steak from and he will just watch you do so, he’s pure muscle at just about 12 months he’s strong and dose not know his size so he will run into/bump my kid but on the ground but he’s growing out of that, we have 2 cats he grew up around them so he knows he can’t hurt then but dose sometimes get a little rough trying to play, but Iv never seen him aggressive towards my family no matter what, I trust my GWP more than I trust most people.
Wow, you have enlightened me! I have always had Shorthairs, in fact have two new pups as of this posting. I had considered Wirehairs at various times. I am glad i came across this post. I know the work it takes on these high energy hunting dogs, but wasn't aware of the needs of the wirehairs! You are doing a GREAT service letting people know that they need to talk to people like you who will be honest about this breed. Again ,thank you for telling it like it is!
This is a bit dramatic. I have a GWP. Couldn’t ask for a more loving dog. She’s a lot of work and needs strict boundaries but I Feel like most working dogs require a similar amount of structure.
Thanks Mike. I do want to touch base at some point for a wirehair or griffon. Our current move, to a country home on two acres, sets us up well for a wirehair I think. I’ve had a griff in an outdoor kennel in the past. She was my best hunter. My GSP grew up as a family dog while my daughter was growing up. My daughter is now 27 and Ellie is 12 1/2. I do want to wait till Ellie passes so a non-social dog could be welcome. What you do is amazing.
I have a wirehair in a smaller house with a smaller yard. He can be a menace and sometimes its like he does stuff just to spite you. But exercise and structure are key.
ive had two wired pointers great dogs live in the house good with kids,,my first one was the grand daughter of the guy that won the big air contest good dogs
100% spot on. I own 2 GWP they don’t sit around unless they have enough exercise. Must be active to own the breed. Very beautiful dogs but not for everyone
I get what you're doing. I have a Draht I set basic boundaries, did basic obedience and I make sure we get outside on most days and he is an absolute pleasure. I don't think these are the only dogs that need structure, but if you can't provide structure these dogs aren't for you.
Gday Mate I’m Australian I had GSPs for 30 years great dogs I decided to get a GWP he was brilliant slept on my bed at night , lived in my 4wd for 2 years while we travelled around Australia, he played with children on the beaches we had never met . He was brilliant as a deer stalking companion, he passed away . I got another puppy 2 years later , and what a nasty piece of work he was , we were traveling he was in the car , I open the door and he grabbed me around my wrist , wouldn’t let go I had to talk to him quietly for about 5 minutes before he let me go , a rush job to the hospital he had bitten through to the bone on 60% of my wrist , not puncture wounds but like big scissors had cut through me 21/2 hours in the operating theatre and over 20 stitches, I didn’t curse at him or anything But 6 months later I was nursing a 8 week old Labrador of mate , my GWP came up gave a small growl then attacked the Labrador and wouldn’t let go until it was dead , I had bites all over my face from the labradorite because I tried to get it away My dog was shot within the hour It could have been a baby
1:38 to get your German shorthaired or wirehaired pointer to be chill, watch movies, sleep on the bed and or just hang out takes one hell of a lot of work (as in training), discipline (as in structure), and a mental and physical outlet. Both the GSP and Malinois are like this, it's not luck they're this way but when working them they are very high drive. I've always had drivey working or sporting dogs so I'm not getting home and asking myself WTF have I done, I'm 62, retired and have chronic pain. I have both dogs on prong collars due to their high prey drive, although I've issued a strong correction s in the past when exhibiting loading, but on occasion at night they will see a shadow resembling a cat and immediately without any loading or other signs, take off after "it", usually I can maintain control, but the last straw was when they yanked me off my feet, I am a strong person but without warning any person would struggle with this. Both dogs walk at a heel loose leash, but a prong collar will give a self-correction when they act on prey instincts. Although the Malinois is faster, my pointer can outrun (distance wise) my Belgian Malinois. I also got them, Fritz and my Malinois Maxine from a shelter, a big shock there, right? Fritz is single coated but wirehaired he is slick coated with very little face hair and is completely black with white ticked chest. I don't know if GSP will throw a smooth coated pup with wirehaired characteristics, but this has me vexed.
I plan on getting one too track deer and retrieve ducks and dove during the winter and track hogs during the summer time so year round basically it will be working would you recommend one for me?
I have a Wirehaire and we have a non hunting home. We’ve been really lucky but we have to stimulate the dog in other ways. She tells us exactly when we’ve been treating her too much like a pet and craves structure. I love this breed and I hate when I see them in the shelter. I’m not sure I’ll be able to have another one now that we have kids and less time to devote for the type of training these dogs need.
Got a working line GWP as a family pet 😂. She’s 3 now, still has a prey drive unlike any other dog I’ve had. She’s a great family pet. She gets worked 2-3 hours a day and shes a dream. Humans and Dogs, she’s great with. Anything else that not human or dog - it’s getting hunted and killed.
I’m a very new hunter, 2nd year hunter. I have been wanting to get a pup to go hunt with me a couple buddies of mine and a short haired pointer that one of them has. I want one of these for sure. Training wise I’m not sure how to train them or any of that. I want to find out if I’m able to handle one of these pups for sure. They are beasts for sure. I have a family with 3 kids and our youngest 15 years old but allergic to pups and my wife is a little allergic as well but I hear these are pretty good with allergies. I think I’m going to try to reach out to you guys to figure out what I need to know to figure out if I can make it work with one of these or not.
What do you think about Italian Spinones i one loved chasing birds and stealing food I think you call that counter surfing. Anyway they come in brown roan like your guys and white and orange. They are similar with beards and wired hair.hunting dogs of Italy .
I have a pudelpointer. Very easy with humans, never shown any agressivity towards humans or dogs but a big prey drive instinct, she killed many raccoons and ground squirrels and I cannot leave the dog with any cats. Overall a very good dog but yes they need an active life.
My shorthair was a spaz but a complete sweetheart. Even a strange child could have taken a steak out of his mouth with no worries. Ive been debating between a griff and gwp... this helps a little with that decision
They need hunting homes and given drive need structure and daily activity. In Germany you will probably only get one if you are a hunter and have the possibility to hunt regularly. Non hunting homes is not ideal .
I'm arguing with my GWP right now that if she doesn't eat her dinner she does not get ice cream. We couldn't ask for a better inside dog, she's almost seven now, i could leave a steak laying on the floor for hours, she wouldn't touch it
I think whoever adopts a hunting dog they need good long walks and swimming chasing toys, flirt poles. Search and smell games.maybe nice to have another dog that they can run and play. I think people with young families have their already full attentionwith the kids. there are plenty of other breeds that would be suitable.
People don't search out information about the dogs that they think they want it amazes me with all the information from books and the internet, talking to breeders going to dog shows the family dog will be living with them 10 to 15 yrs. the dog is a breathing animal not some plush toy that you like the look of .
I have my 3rd GWP and none of them fits what you say. None ever had a kidsproblem, actually all 3 loved kids never been a problem never did overrun one or even scratch. Couch yes deffinitly, playing ones a week with a schoolclass in 2nd grade means approx 8 years old and all jump on the field throughing sticks giving goodys run with her. We go in the forrest looking for dear. She strives around lets me know there is one and the same minute i blow my whistle and she turns and comes back. You make a realy bad picture of them - i disagree and dislike your bad commends.
I think with successful training any breed can be a dual purpose dog. I see GWPs from time to time coming into work, and plenty of my customers have them. If you can train them from a puppy, they will be great companions as well as hunters. Rescuing is a bit different because those dogs are significantly harder to change, but it can be done. Off leash training and impulse control can be trained in dogs to help breeds like this succeed in Suburban environments. These guys can be trained to run with you while you bike, hike, run yourself, etc. as well as sports like dock diving or agility in the hunting off season. There is more to it than just putting them outside in a kennel or leashing them up in the yard. It is all dependent on how bad YOU want it for the dog. They are willing and eager to learn, please, and perform.
I raised two male GWP's together. I am a devoted owner that dedicated the time needed to keep them as house pets. By far the most challenging breed I've owned. They needed four mile walks daily where they attempted to pull my arm out of the socket at the sign of every squirrel. They needed constant socializing to keep them from being dog aggressive. It became obvious to me early on that they should only go to working/hunting homes where they can do what they were bred to do. They were loving, affectionate, couch potatoes if their daily needs were met but would definitely find trouble without enough stimulation. I loved turning them loose in the woods or the mountains, it was pure joy for them. I researched the breed extensively before choosing them but unfortunately there was not near enough info/warnings regarding their temperament and demands. I feel like the breeders need to be more responsible and selective in placing their pups in homes where they will be worked.
On our second griff. Not a hunting family but best family dogs we have ever had. Need lots of exercise (we all could use that) but as sweet, loving, snuggly as can be. These dogs adjust to what you’re doing but definitely need to get lots of exercise, outdoor time. Smart and easy to train. Really the best dogs
You make a great point, these dogs are bred here in Germany where we hunt for 10 months a year. If you can't take them out hunting they need lots of exercise.
I have a 9 month old GWP puppy. she is the sweetest girl.
She is good at hunting, but now I had a knee injury so we couldn't go hunting.
But we go out often. We go hiking, cycling and many other things.
And she is in the House. She behaved nicely and is never aggressive.
GWPs make good family dogs as long as you give them enough exercise.
My aunt had an awesome GWP named Jill. She lived to be well into her 20s. Last time I had seen her, she was 22 or 24...not sure how old she was when she passed.
Never knew about this side of them. This channel is awesome. Thanks Mike.
Thank you for what you are doing. This breed is very close to my heart, and I just appreciate the work you are putting into these boys and girls.
Hi Mike, Cindy and I are thankful to have Sherlock.....working out great, great with grandkids and other dogs. Enjoy his passion for the hunt and he loves to swim and chase ducks behind the house. He enjoys cuddle time.
looking forward to hunting with you this Fall at Meemo's
Writing to you from North Wales. We have a rescue Griffon that came to us via a charity in Spain. Our boy has travelled. Been with us 7 yrs today. A lovely dog, but so help me they can be stubborn & you have to want to get inside of their heads because they are a bit complicated. I grew up with dogs & have always had dogs ..... have been bitten but then again so was my son as a child. One bite & you respect dogs forever. Personally I would say a Griff needs to go to experienced dog owners or in the perfect world experienced dog owning hunting families. Bless you for the good work your doing over there.
I have one of these and wouldn’t trade her for the World. She hunts all day on our property. She hikes with us, plays with us, cuddles with us and is very close to our labradoodle. These dogs need tons of exercise to match their energy. They are loyal and loving and train easy.
My GWP musta been a good one I got him a puppy he’s just about 1 now, I don’t hunt birds I do fish so he’s grown to love hikes and fishing, I brought him home to my 1 year old daughter not really knowing anything about the breed, he is an amazing dog loyal as they come, he gets a little wild sometimes full of energy after a long day of minimal play while I’m at work, he is very gentle with my little girl he knows when she is playing he isn’t rough, he is the dog you can snatch a steak from and he will just watch you do so, he’s pure muscle at just about 12 months he’s strong and dose not know his size so he will run into/bump my kid but on the ground but he’s growing out of that, we have 2 cats he grew up around them so he knows he can’t hurt then but dose sometimes get a little rough trying to play, but Iv never seen him aggressive towards my family no matter what, I trust my GWP more than I trust most people.
Wow, you have enlightened me! I have always had Shorthairs, in fact have two new pups as of this posting. I had considered Wirehairs at various times. I am glad i came across this post. I know the work it takes on these high energy hunting dogs, but wasn't aware of the needs of the wirehairs! You are doing a GREAT service letting people know that they need to talk to people like you who will be honest about this breed. Again ,thank you for telling it like it is!
This is a bit dramatic. I have a GWP. Couldn’t ask for a more loving dog. She’s a lot of work and needs strict boundaries but I Feel like most working dogs require a similar amount of structure.
I have a 1 year old GWP . Everything this man is saying is absolute facts. Great dogs, but they need structure and WORK.
Amen, I have had wirehair's for the past 30 years.
Thanks Mike. I do want to touch base at some point for a wirehair or griffon. Our current move, to a country home on two acres, sets us up well for a wirehair I think. I’ve had a griff in an outdoor kennel in the past. She was my best hunter. My GSP grew up as a family dog while my daughter was growing up. My daughter is now 27 and Ellie is 12 1/2. I do want to wait till Ellie passes so a non-social dog could be welcome. What you do is amazing.
I have a wirehair in a smaller house with a smaller yard. He can be a menace and sometimes its like he does stuff just to spite you. But exercise and structure are key.
That is some straight up truth telling - appreciate it - bread for hardcore hunters
ive had two wired pointers great dogs live in the house good with kids,,my first one was the grand daughter of the guy that won the big air contest good dogs
Thank you for the reality check!
100% spot on. I own 2 GWP they don’t sit around unless they have enough exercise. Must be active to own the breed. Very beautiful dogs but not for everyone
I get what you're doing. I have a Draht I set basic boundaries, did basic obedience and I make sure we get outside on most days and he is an absolute pleasure. I don't think these are the only dogs that need structure, but if you can't provide structure these dogs aren't for you.
Gday Mate
I’m Australian I had GSPs for 30 years great dogs
I decided to get a GWP he was brilliant slept on my bed at night , lived in my 4wd for 2 years while we travelled around Australia, he played with children on the beaches we had never met .
He was brilliant as a deer stalking companion, he passed away .
I got another puppy 2 years later , and what a nasty piece of work he was , we were traveling he was in the car , I open the door and he grabbed me around my wrist , wouldn’t let go
I had to talk to him quietly for about 5 minutes before he let me go , a rush job to the hospital he had bitten through to the bone on 60% of my wrist , not puncture wounds but like big scissors had cut through me
21/2 hours in the operating theatre and over 20 stitches, I didn’t curse at him or anything
But 6 months later I was nursing a 8 week old Labrador of mate , my GWP came up gave a small growl then attacked the Labrador and wouldn’t let go until it was dead , I had bites all over my face from the labradorite because I tried to get it away
My dog was shot within the hour
It could have been a baby
1:38 to get your German shorthaired or wirehaired pointer to be chill, watch movies, sleep on the bed and or just hang out takes one hell of a lot of work (as in training), discipline (as in structure), and a mental and physical outlet. Both the GSP and Malinois are like this, it's not luck they're this way but when working them they are very high drive. I've always had drivey working or sporting dogs so I'm not getting home and asking myself WTF have I done, I'm 62, retired and have chronic pain.
I have both dogs on prong collars due to their high prey drive, although I've issued a strong correction s in the past when exhibiting loading, but on occasion at night they will see a shadow resembling a cat and immediately without any loading or other signs, take off after "it", usually I can maintain control, but the last straw was when they yanked me off my feet, I am a strong person but without warning any person would struggle with this. Both dogs walk at a heel loose leash, but a prong collar will give a self-correction when they act on prey instincts.
Although the Malinois is faster, my pointer can outrun (distance wise) my Belgian Malinois. I also got them, Fritz and my Malinois Maxine from a shelter, a big shock there, right? Fritz is single coated but wirehaired he is slick coated with very little face hair and is completely black with white ticked chest. I don't know if GSP will throw a smooth coated pup with wirehaired characteristics, but this has me vexed.
I plan on getting one too track deer and retrieve ducks and dove during the winter and track hogs during the summer time so year round basically it will be working would you recommend one for me?
I have a Wirehaire and we have a non hunting home. We’ve been really lucky but we have to stimulate the dog in other ways. She tells us exactly when we’ve been treating her too much like a pet and craves structure. I love this breed and I hate when I see them in the shelter.
I’m not sure I’ll be able to have another one now that we have kids and less time to devote for the type of training these dogs need.
Got a working line GWP as a family pet 😂.
She’s 3 now, still has a prey drive unlike any other dog I’ve had. She’s a great family pet. She gets worked 2-3 hours a day and shes a dream.
Humans and Dogs, she’s great with. Anything else that not human or dog - it’s getting hunted and killed.
Wonderful I can tell all of them with not problem
I’m a very new hunter, 2nd year hunter. I have been wanting to get a pup to go hunt with me a couple buddies of mine and a short haired pointer that one of them has. I want one of these for sure. Training wise I’m not sure how to train them or any of that. I want to find out if I’m able to handle one of these pups for sure. They are beasts for sure. I have a family with 3 kids and our youngest 15 years old but allergic to pups and my wife is a little allergic as well but I hear these are pretty good with allergies. I think I’m going to try to reach out to you guys to figure out what I need to know to figure out if I can make it work with one of these or not.
What do you think about Italian Spinones i one loved chasing birds and stealing food I think you call that counter surfing. Anyway they come in brown roan like your guys and white and orange. They are similar with beards and wired hair.hunting dogs of Italy .
I have a pudelpointer. Very easy with humans, never shown any agressivity towards humans or dogs but a big prey drive instinct, she killed many raccoons and ground squirrels and I cannot leave the dog with any cats. Overall a very good dog but yes they need an active life.
Well said!
Are they good at search and rescue.
Well said dude. Really puts it into perspective. Would you have the same perspective about an English setter?
Interested in reply
Good common sense information
My shorthair was a spaz but a complete sweetheart. Even a strange child could have taken a steak out of his mouth with no worries. Ive been debating between a griff and gwp... this helps a little with that decision
They are Hunting Machines Obedience obedience is key . GWP or DD
They need hunting homes and given drive need structure and daily activity. In Germany you will probably only get one if you are a hunter and have the possibility to hunt regularly. Non hunting homes is not ideal .
Question. Are these German Wirehaired pointers? Do you feel the same about Wirehaired pointing griffon?
Griffons are different but some of the same
My Griff is more like a Drathar than a Griff. Not a fun surprise! Fearless, cunning, fast, hunts all day long, and will break the ice to swim.
I'm arguing with my GWP right now that if she doesn't eat her dinner she does not get ice cream. We couldn't ask for a better inside dog, she's almost seven now, i could leave a steak laying on the floor for hours, she wouldn't touch it
I think whoever adopts a hunting dog they need good long walks and swimming chasing toys, flirt poles. Search and smell games.maybe nice to have another dog that they can run and play. I think people with young families have their already full attentionwith the kids. there are plenty of other breeds that would be suitable.
People don't search out information about the dogs that they think they want it amazes me with all the information from books and the internet, talking to breeders going to dog shows the family dog will be living with them 10 to 15 yrs. the dog is a breathing animal not some plush toy that you like the look of .
I have my 3rd GWP and none of them fits what you say. None ever had a kidsproblem, actually all 3 loved kids never been a problem never did overrun one or even scratch. Couch yes deffinitly, playing ones a week with a schoolclass in 2nd grade means approx 8 years old and all jump on the field throughing sticks giving goodys run with her. We go in the forrest looking for dear. She strives around lets me know there is one and the same minute i blow my whistle and she turns and comes back. You make a realy bad picture of them - i disagree and dislike your bad commends.
Drahthaar= Not pets 100%. The 4WD of hunting dogs 😊
I think with successful training any breed can be a dual purpose dog. I see GWPs from time to time coming into work, and plenty of my customers have them. If you can train them from a puppy, they will be great companions as well as hunters. Rescuing is a bit different because those dogs are significantly harder to change, but it can be done. Off leash training and impulse control can be trained in dogs to help breeds like this succeed in Suburban environments. These guys can be trained to run with you while you bike, hike, run yourself, etc. as well as sports like dock diving or agility in the hunting off season. There is more to it than just putting them outside in a kennel or leashing them up in the yard. It is all dependent on how bad YOU want it for the dog. They are willing and eager to learn, please, and perform.
Can they co exist with a house cat? Would they have to be raised from a young pup around a cat?
No. Maybe. Maybe no.
Mine gets along with my three cats with zero issues but maybe he’s a nut job